re: electricity SOLAR.KnowledgePublications.com

re: electricity
20 sep 2001
web3943@charweb.org (thomas) wrote:

>could we discuss lowering the electric bill?  after turning off 
>lights and such what else can be done?

turn the water heater temp down. mine's 114 f now, with no scalding or
legionella problems, and a very thick jacket and timer that only heats
water with off-peak power at 5 cents/kwh.

i checked it with my new trekky raytek raynger st29 non-contact ir
thermometer, $189 at grainger or ben meadows, with a 12:1 telescope
and laser pointer. it has a -20 to 750 f (-32 to 400 c) range and +/-1%
accuracy and 0.5 f resolution. this version assumes a 0.95 emissivity
surface and ignores water vapor, making the sky seem colder, eg 20 vs
50 f on a 90 f day. might be a nice christmas gift for the frug who
has everything. 

i use it a lot around the house, instantly checking fridge and freezer
temps, food temps, coffee temps, window temps, wall temps, ac temps,
shadow temps, people temps (92-93 f for bare skin--"would you mind
exposing your navel?"), ground and sky temps, all kinds of temps i don't
usually measure because it normally takes more time and trouble. imagine
checking a ceiling temp 20' over your head as you walk into a building. 

many mechanics now use them to look for hot brake drums, bearings,
and so on. you might borrow one for a weekend...

nick